Feeder for tentering machines



Oct. 30 1923.

H. A. SMART ET AL FEEDER FOR TENTERING MACHINES Filed April 13. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNEY.

Gd. 3D 1923.

H. A. SMART ET AL FEEDER FOR TENTERING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 15, 1922 ATTORNEY.

Oct. 30 1923. 1,472,499

- H. A. SMART ET AL FEEDER FOR TENTERING MACHINES Filed April 13, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 0 1 I H35 I l M I 11 A ,5 5 INVENTORS v WJHZ. @OCIi/JK A TTORNE Y.

Oct. 30, 1923. 1,472,499

H. A. SMART ET AL FEEDER FOB TENTERING MACHINES Filed April 15, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I. g .77 19 14 a f 14% ZZ Q 13 J5 2'1 i ll i J5" Z2 J6 J6 TI o' 0 I- II 1! 32 h I 2 v 3 n l 2 1\ t 'll/lllflllllllllllylllllll Aqggll/l/ fl.fl Sm i INVENTORS 600725;

\ ATTORNEY.

Patented Get. 30, 1923.

Marco STAT nanny a. s nner nn WILLIAM cconn, JR.,'OF nnnvrtrn, VIRGINIA- :rnnnnn son rnn'rnnrne MncHrnns.

Application filed April 13,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY A. SMART and WILLIAM H. H. Coons, Jr., citizens of the United States, residing at Danville, in

is due to the action of springs which cause the engagement of the rollers with and the release of the cloth from such tension alterna-te'ly thus stretching the cloth and then releasing it, so that the cloth is stretched and then released solely by the action of the springs and without the necessity for utilizing air pressure as has heretofore been done, the operation proving notably successful in practice as compared with the mode of procedure as heretofore practiced.

By the present invention, the cloth is put under tension by the use of springs, and air pressure, such as heretofore used, is avoided, forthe maintenance'of such air pressure involves complications which are entirely eliminated by the present invention.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part. of" this specification, with the understanding however that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings Figure l is an elevation, partly'in section, of a tentering machine constructed in accordance with the invention. 7

Fig. 2 is-a view partly in section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. v w

Fig. 3 is a section at right angles to the showing of Fig.8. i

Fig. '45 is a view of the structure for ac- 1922. Serial No.'552 ,437.

commodatingthe machine to cloth of various widths.

Fig. 5 is structure. i V i Fig. 6 is'asection of the main cloth roller and its support forming part ofthe-machine.

Fig. 7 is a view of a1 rocking support en'- tcring'into the machine. I

Fig; 8 is a longitudinal section of one of the cloth stretching rollers.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a detail of the machine structure. I V

Referring to the drawings, wherein siln ilar characters of reference designate cor'- responding parts throughout the several views thereof, the preferred embodiment of the machine as shown therein comprises a pair of base'members 1, which'may be secured to the: floor of. a factory or the like in any suitable manner, as by means of the bolts 1. Rising from these base members l are a pair of rod's'ections 2 fitting into sleeves 2", which have engaged in their upper ends the depending rod 'secti0n's'2' ofthe frame or superstructureof the machine. These upper rod sections 2." are ada plan viewlof a-detail a the justably secured in the s1eeves2 by means 7 of set screws 3, which construction and ar-" rangement of parts constitute supporting standards or posts for the frame or superstructure, as aforesaid? Extending be,- tweenithe forward ends of a pair of horizontally disposed bars-4, secured in position at the lower ends of the standardsorposts 2, the latter to be'hereinafter designated in their entirety by the numeral 2, is a roller l about which'is directed a length of cloth 5 being treated, and which cloth is assumed.

to be travelling in the direction of the arrows 6 from a source or supply (not shown); The cloth '5 passes'from the roller 4 in an upward direction to one side of the lower guide members 7 thence through a. set of stretching rollers 8 and 8' to a second or upper guide member 7.", and over a direction changing rioller9 to-a feed mechanism (not shown) by means of which the cloth is drawn through the pressure or stretching rollersS and'8".

The guide members? and 7 are made fast to a block 10 on each side ofthe machine,

and are secured in desired projecting relation' therefrom by means of bolts 11 passing therethrough' substantially as shown. These guide members-7 and 7 are preferably made from porcelain, whereby-the frictional on the rods 16.

effects of the same on the cloth is suliicient tor the intended purposes thereof, such as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

Each block 10 terminates in a T-head 12 having arcuate slots 13 on opposite sides of the block 10, said slots 13 l eingtraversed by bolts 14- fastening the head 12 to another block 15. opposite sides 01 the machine, and these blocks 15 slide on guide rods 1 made fast to supporting blocks 17 carried by the standards or posts 2 at the upper end thereof. Fastto the rods 16 is a centrally located plate 18 incapable of sliding movement The plate 18 has one end provided with a series of ratchet teeth 19, and pivoted to the plate 18 is a lever 20 connected on opposite sides of a pivot point 21 to the blocks 15 by links 22, and the lever 20 i is provided with a pawl 28 serving to lock or release the lever 20 at the will of an operator, whereby the two blocks 15 may be moved simultaneously in opposite directions to adjust the blocks 15 along the rods 1o as may be desired, andto correspondingly actuate the two plates 10 for the adjustment of the oppositely disposed pairs. 7 of movable and statlonary pressure rollers to and from each othercorrespondingly for use on lengths of cloth of varying widths.

The movable pressure rollers 8 and the stationaryrollers 8 cooperative therewith are arranged in pairs and in oppositely inclined relation inwardly of the blocks 10, and the stationary rollers 8 are preferably made from porcelain. The movable pressure rollers 8 are shown more or less in detail, in Fig. 8, and each are journaled at their opposite ends within a yoke portion 24: having spread leg portions 25 traversed and held together by spacing sleeves 26 and a bolt 26. Each of the rollers 8 comprises a roller body 27 of a suitable material, recessed as at 27 at its opposite ends, to receive therein bearing balls 28 between the inner ends of which and the inner walls of the recesses 27 are confined ball bearings 29. The bearing balls 28, together with the roller bodies 27, are carried on bolt-like spindles or shafts 30 passing through the opposite legs of the yoke supports 24:. EX- terior to the roller bodies 27 are rubber sleeves 31 giving a friction grip to the rollers for stretching action on the cloth 5 during its passage between the same and the stationary rollers 8.

The yoke supports 24-, for the movable pressure or stretching rollers 8, are each provided with a bearing surface 341 against which bears a pusher rod 35- carried and movable in a support 36. The two supports 36 are in the form or" casings carried by another casing 37 the casing 36 being made fast to the members 10 by straps ll Within the casting 37 there is journaled a crank There are two blocks 15 on 1 ,evaeee shaft- 38 connected tothe pusher rod 35 by a pitman 39. Surrounding each of the rods 35 is a spring 40. so that on rotating the crank shafts 38, the rods 35 will be reciprocated and the springs 40 will react upon the rollers 8 to cause the same to approach toward or recede from the stationary rollers 8. Thisis accomplished by means of levers 1-1 being contacted by the opposite edges of the cloth during its passage bands 4-8 encircling the other or companionf rollers 8, thereby momentarily separating the rollers from direct engagement. withthe cloth band 5 during each revolution of the same and relieving the stretching tension between the rollers and the material 5 being stretched.

When the machine is set for operation upon the cloth material 5, the guides 7 and 7 and the 'rollers'8 and 8 are placed at an angle to the travel or" the cloth material as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. By properly adjusting the rollers 8 and 8, the cloth is given a sidewise strain or pull conductive of putting the cloth under the desired tension and smoothing and stretching the same in both transverse and longitudinal direc= 1 tions thereof. When adjusting the machine for service, the cloth material 5 is brought from a suitable source of supply not shown, and passed around the roller 4: and thence upwardly, as shown at Fig. 3, past the lowerv guides 7 and between the rollers 8 and 8,

and then past the upper guide 7 and over the roller 9, thus putting the cloth material under strain, and causing the same to be put under sidewise tension. Periodically, the cloth band 5 is released from the stretching pressure of the rollers 8, the.

springs 1O yielding to the pressure exerted by the engagement of'the pins 2 with the metal bands 43 on the rollers 8, whereby the cloth is temporarily released "from the tensioning or stretching action of the rollers thereon. In this manner, the cloth material 5 is stretched by the continued action of the machine. and through its entire length. Beside the manner of release of the rollers 8 and 8' from contact'one with the other, as in the engagement of the pins 12 with the metal bands 43, this release is also accomplished by the manipulation of the levers 41 and the opposite side edges of the cloth, whereby when the cloth is stretched to too great a degree, its contact with these levers will result in the operation 1 ,evaaee of the crank shaft to relieve the tension of the springs 40 on the push rods 35, as has been hereinbefore indicated. Provision is made in the machine for adjusting the pressure rollers and the other rollers or guides associated therewith to vary the stretching tension placed upon the cloth by adjusting the blocks 15, and by means of the lever 20 adapting the machine to various widths of cloth. 1

From the foregoing, it Will be readily apparent that, while a preferred embodiment of the machine has been described and illustrated herein in specific terms and details of construction, arrangement and operation, various changes and modifications otthe same may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I'Vhat is claimed is 1. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame including spaced vertical members, a support swingingly mounted on each of said vertical members, means for rotatively adjusting said supports on said vertical members, a stationary roller carried by each of said supports, and a movable roller yieldably engaged with each or" said supports, and between which and the stationary rollers a web of cloth is adapted to be drawn.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame including spaced vertical members, a support swingingly mounted on each of said vertical members, and provided with segmental slots, a clamping device extending through the slots and operating to lock the supports in adjusted position relative to the vertical member, a stationary roller carried by each of said supports, and a movabel roller yieldably engaged with each of said supports and between which and the stationary rollers a web of cloth is adapted to be drawn.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame including spaced vertical members, a support swingingly mounted on each of said vertical member-s, means for rotatively adjusting said supports on said vertical members, a stationary roller carried by each of said supports, a movable roller yieldably engaged with each of said supports and be tween which and the stationary rollers a web of cloth is adapted to be drawn, and guide rollers carried by the swinging supports above and below the stationary and yieldable rollers.

i. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame including spaced vertical members, a support swingingly mounted on each oi said vertical members, means for rotatively adjusting said supports on said vertical members, a stationary roller carried by each of said supports and provided with projecting studs. a movable roller yieldably engaged with each of said supports and be tween which and the stationary rollers a web of cloth is adapted to be drawn,-said yieldab-le roller being moved away from the stationary roller and the web oi'cloth en gaged thereby.

5'. In an apparatus of the classdescribed, a frame including spaced vertical members, a support swingingly mounted oneach of said vertical members, means for rotatively adjusting said supports on said vertical members, a stationary roller carried by each of said supports, a movable roller coacting with each of said stationaryrrollers, a casing coupled to each of said swinging sup-, ports, a plunger spring supported in each of said casings and operative to yieldably hold the movable rollers, a gage rod swingingly supported in each ofsaid casings and influenced by the spring supported plungers and extending into the path of the web of cloth, and a movable roller yieldably ngaged with each of said supports and between which and the stationary rollers a web of cloth is adapted to be drawn.

6. In an apparatus of the class described,

a frame including spaced vertical members,

a support swingingly mounted on each of said vertical members, means for rotatively adjusting said supports on said vertical members, a stationary roller carried by each of said supports, a yoke device swingingly coupled to each of said supports, a roller pivoted in each of said yoke devices and between which and the stationary rollers a webof cloth is adapted to be drawn, a casingcoupled to each of said swinging sup ports, a plunger spring supported in each of said casings and bearing respectively against said yoke devices and yieldably holding the movable rollers toward the stationary rollers, and a gage rod swingingly supported in each of said casings and in fluenced by the spring supported plungers and extending into cloth. 7

'7, In an apparatus of the class described, supporting members in spaced relation, a stationary roller carried by each of said supporting members, a movable roller carried by each of said supporting members and between which and the stationary rollers a Web of cloth is adapted to pass, means for yieldably supporting the movable member, and stud-s projecting from the stationary roller and periodically engaging the movable roller and moving it away from the stationary roller and the web of cloth engaged thereby.

In testimony tures hereto.

HENRY A. SMART. WILLIAM H. H. COOKIE, JR,

whereof, we affix our signathe path of theweb of 

